The Republic of Ireland are in Paris as they prepare for a huge clash with France in the European Championship qualifiers.
The Boys in Green were unlucky not to have drawn with the World Cup finalists earlier this year, when Mike Maignan pulled off a wonder save from a Nathan Collins header right at the death.
Full-time: 🇮🇪 0-1 🇫🇷
Two saves from Maignan within a minute denied Ireland a point. The first sparing Kounde an own-goal and then a superb effort to stop a Colins header that looked destined for the top corner
📱 Updates: https://t.co/MQPj9kO4Lu#IRLFRA #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/FUbB8FyjZh— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) March 27, 2023
France are unbeaten in their last 8 matches against Ireland, the last victory for the Boys in Green coming in 1981 with a 3-2 win in a World Cup qualifier. Ireland are without a win in their last 7 away European Championship qualifiers, while France have lost just once in their last 23 qualifiers.
Ireland are without a number of players tonight, among them Evan Ferguson and Seamus Coleman who miss out through injury, while Matt Doherty is suspended. Cork's John Egan meanwhile is fit to play, despite picking up a knock in Sheffield United's draw with Everton last Saturday.
Cork's Chiedozie Ogbene and Adam Idah are set to start in attack for the Boys in Green tonight.
Boss Stephen Kenny says players have the chance to step up and take their chance this evening.
"I don't look at it like that (in terms of being unlucky). I'm very privileged to manage the Ireland team, I always have been. We're obviously missing a number of players, five attacking players in particular, Michael Obafemi, Evan Ferguson, Callum Robinson, Troy Parrott and Mikey Johnston. "But, it gives other players the opportunity to play and that must be embraced. Over the last few years, we've given 18 players their debut and because of that, we've got an extended pool of players to pick from and one of them can now step up. "We're excited about the game, some people don't give us much of a chance but we've got a firm belief in ourselves and we give ourselves every chance."
Egan meanwhile backed up his managers words and says Ireland have the quality to get a result this evening."We know they're a top team but we've got to embrace these games."I think we embraced it in Dublin, we put in a really good performance that we can take a lot of confidence from. I think we deserved a draw that night, only for their keeper's world-class save at the end, we might have got that."As defenders, as players, as a squad we have to embrace it, it's one of the toughest games in professional football, against France, and we have to perform to our maximum to get a result but we've a lot of belief in ourselves as a squad."We are always brilliantly prepared for games, we have to make sure we go out and perform to the best of our ability."
Kick off at the Parc des Princes this evening is at 7.45 Irish time.
